Fresno man who strangled SLO County woman pleads guilty to murder, DA says
A Fresno man could spend the rest of his life in state prison for fatally strangling a Arroyo Grande woman, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
Kayonie Eliaz Mendibles, 21, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing Marion Jeanine Vore at her home in rural Arroyo Grande on Nov. 27, 2020, the agency said in a Monday news release.
The 77-year-old woman was strangled to death and suffered traumatic head injuries, San Luis Obispo County Obispo Sheriff’s Office Det. Gregory Smith testified in court in 2021.
A neighbor witnessed Mendibles leaving Vore’s residence in a Chevrolet the afternoon of her murder, according to testimony during the 2021 trial.
Sheriff’s deputies found blood on Mendibles’ boots and the key fob to Vore’s car in his pocket, according to court testimony.
Mendibles is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2024, in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, according to the release.
He faces a sentence of 25 years to life in prison, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Mendibles was being held Monday at San Luis Obispo County Jail, according to the inmate booking log.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 6:17 PM.
